Thief signal



Patented Dec. 12, 1922.`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NVE/von Louisfrie By @M Amm/frs I.. FRIED.

THIEF'SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1922.

Vic.

@M Ss d w Y o uwy L1 I/I//T/VESSES L. FRIED.

nuff SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1922. l A, l 1,488,81 9. Patented Dee. 12, 1922.1;2

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES on line 2-k-2.

4 but show ing a `modiied torni of the invenif i tion.

Patented Der. l2.,

man

time Lta/ if fr t* in it THIEF SGNAL.

Application filed June 30,

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.' y

Be' it known that i, Louis Fiamma citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city oi New Yorl{,` borough ot Brooklyn, in the county of `Kings andState oic New York, have invented a new `and improved Thief Signal, ot which the i'iollowino; a it'ull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates tovsignals `or indicating means for use on automobiles or other vehicles and particularly to a device for indicating whether or `not the car has been stolen. l

The object in view is to provide a simple and etiective construction whichcrmay be readily seen and which will indicate that the power is being operated by an unauthorizedperson. Y

Another object oi' the invention is to provide a' thief signal device which can lbe readilyv seen and which when seen will present a breach ot police regulation.

A Still further yobject is to provide an improved construction which may be easily Set to an operated or locked position or moved to an inoperative position. l ln-theaccomp'anying drawings?" i Figure 1 is an elevation ot a license plate togethergwith a signal device embodying the invention.` v l 4 Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sec?. tional viewthrough'Figure 1 approximately Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through Figurel 1 approximately on `line Figure i 1s aview similar tofFigure 1 F injure 5 is a sectional view throng-hiligure i approximately on line 5.--.54 y

Figure 6 is a view Similar to Figure 4 but showing another modified torni of the invention. v

Figure T is a View similar to `,igiii^ re` 1I disclosing a modified construction to that` illustrated in Figiirel. l l i Figure 8 is afragmentary sectional view through Figure 7 on line 8MS; y .c

Figure 9jis a view similar to Figure l but `disclosinga modied construction thereof Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure (5 but disclosingf a modified construction to the construction shown in Figure 6. p t

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings by numeral, 11 indicates ay traine or heus ieee. semi no. 572,002.

ing' of any desired kind which may beprovided with a transparent covering or may` be left open,` The housing or casing/11 is designed to carry a license plate 12 which 60 is necessary tor an automobile to have. In constructing the device according to the presentinvention` it aimed to provide ymeans tor presenting` a cancellation of the license plate or sonic other important or essential part ot the machine or attachment so as to yindicate to everyone that the vehicle is being used without proper authority.` y

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings presente means for cancellingthe license nurnber which is, of course, very prominent and is one ot' the things first `observed a police o'iicer. The housing` or casing 11 '/5 may be oit any desired kind and is preferably open at the bottom. This housing` arries a license 12 which is seen/through the trontopening*` 13. `The casing 11 is longer than the license plate so that theSO lazy tongjcancelling construction Ay be `collapsed in the endl or disten'dedto torni cancellinga members as Shown in Figlire` 1. -When theflazywtong `structure 14 is 1in its outerorcancelling position, the 4hook S5 16 extending from part ot the lazy tongs ig interlocking' with the khook orflocking boltV 1T and the lool; 18. ltwill be understoody that the lock 1S and the connection thereoitwith the lazy tongs 14 may be ot 90 any` kind which will` iirmlyrloclrthe parts in distended position as shown in F igurer 1. Certainctv-thek barsot ithe lazy tongs 14.- arel providedwith extensions 19 whichex Itensions project through theopen bottom of the casing,` 11 andpresent hand-holdswherebyftie lazytongs may bereadily collapsed whenever the Iloclr lihas been moved `to an unlocked position. Freterahlyithis lock is of sucha structure that when the lazy `tongsiare moved from the dotted position shown in Figure 1 to the `full linefposition,

` theyfwill automatically snap into properinterloclred engagement with the hook `15.

resilientclip 2O is secured. to one ofthe 105 bars of the lazy tongs7 said clip beingysub Vstantially U-shape and having; a` depressed portion 21i'orining` a smallbuttoii onthe opposite sidewhereby whentlie lazy tongs are: collapsed as shown in lvdotted lines in Figure 1r clip 20` will straddle thefftront i. wall ot the end l5 and the button formed by the depression 21 will snap into the depressionor aperture 22 and .resilieiitly and yieldiiigly lock the lazy tongs against moyement. Y

In case an unauthorized person uses the automobile to which the lazy tongs 14 aresecured and said lazy tongs are in the position shown in Figure l, they will immediately attract the attention of the generalpublic and also of the police odio-ers because when in`this' position they `will indicate .that the car .liasbeen rstolen .0r is being used lin an vunauthorized ,mannen When a rightful `owner pa-rits hisrcar be may move the lazy '15 tongs to the position shown in Figure y1 without breaking police regulations as the license r plate may be readilyinspected by a police otlicer whenever necessary, the numbers being merely cancelled and not covered. lIn' Figures 4 and 5, a `modified construction is shown wherein the cancellation inembers consist of bars 23 and 24, said ybars having apertured vrends through-which the guide rods 25 and 2,6 extend'. lThese `bars 25 could be ,made integral.orY could be lrigidly `secured togetherbut preferably are made independent and spaced by suitable spacing sleeves 27 and are also spaced from the top ointhecasing l1 by spacing sleeves 28. The

bar23 is provided with means interlocking `with the loclr 18,V said means and said lock beinglof anydesired constructionand provided lwith a proper loclr `fory holding the .l bars ,'23 and 24 in the positionshown in r,Figure 4. 'When the-,lock lSlhasbeeninoved 'toianunloclted position, barsh23 and V24 will drop downwardly into lthe spaceback ofthe lower panel 29 and SllpPOIfted slightly above t-hebottcm of .the Casing by the plate l30 rigidly secured or formed integral 1with the bar ,23- VThis plate presents a hand-hold.

yfor raising and lowering the bars whenever desired as well `as a support ,for the bars when stored in back ofthe panel 29. 'InfFigure V6 a modified construction lis ,disclosed to that shown in Figure 4, said modification consisting merely `in `pIfOVClill91 singley bar 31 instead of the two bars 2,3

and `'24. Aside from/this modification the construction is identical with that shown in Figureh'l and will, therefore, need noadditional description.

v 4In Eigure 2' a modified construction isv disclosed to ,that illust-rated `in v'll`igure 1.

The construction of-r these two vfigures is identical in some respects so that only the `additional structure will be described. In thekconstructiony shown infFigure 1, the end 'bars 14 and14 of thelazy tongs vareprovided with slots 32 and 33 .through which thesupportingrand guiding pins34 and 35 i exten'dwhile in the structure shown in Figure 7, the Vbars 141L and 14 are provided 1 withI slots similar to that just described and 36"" desde@ with @tendens .36 endtssid' in Figure I.

`sarinos .continua'll f act to disteiid or force outwardly the lazy tongs 14 so that they will occupy the position shown in full lines By reason of the action of these springs, the clip 2O shown in Figure 1, would not hold the lazy tongs collapsed and, consequently, a special construction is provided as shown in Figure 3.

This construction consists of a spring jpressed hoolr 42 adapted to snap over the Aend 43 of the bar 14?. A push rodor pin 44 is provided inthe casing 11 and extends to a convenient point wherebylthe operator may' merely press this pin inwardly against the action'o'fthe spring 45, and release the lazy tongs whereby the springs 38 and 39 will project the 'lazy tongs to an outer or operated position with the hoolr 16 interlocking with the bolt of the .loclt 18.

In 'Figure 9 a modified construction is presented which issiinilarto Figure 4 but which has in addition springs 46 and 47 continually acting to hold the bars 23 and 24 in their operated or cancelling position. lWhen itis desired to movethe bars 23 and 24 downwardly in back of the panel 29 in this form or' `the invention, the bar 24 'is ,moved past the spring pressedv hook 48 which hoolr snaps over bar 24and locks the parts inr a lowered position. When it is desired to use the bars 23 and 24, the pin 29 is pressed inwardly fory releasinglthe `h oolr 48 and the springs '46 and 47 will immediately move'the cancelling bars23 and 24 to their upper or operated position.

in Figure 10 an additional modified lform of the` invention is shown which is similar to Figure G but the bar 31 is raised bysuitable springs 50, and 51. This `bar is held in its locked position by hook 48 kwhichniay be released by pressing vthe pin`49 similar to the structure shown in Figure 9. The constructions shown inFigures 9xand10' are provided with plates 30 which act as handholds and `also as means for limiting the downward movement of the lrespective concelling bars. i

What lI claim is t 1. The combination with a license plate ,for automobiles and other vehicles, of a ico ` iaeaeie 3. 1n a thier" signal of the character described, the combination with a license plate, of a casing enclosing said license plate having an opening through which the license plate may be seen, lazy tongs mounted in one end of said casing and normally collapsed to a position out of line with said opening, said lazy tongs being distensible across said opening for presenting cancelling means for said numbers, and a lock for locking' said lazy tongs against movement when positioned across said numbers in cancelling position.

4. ln a thief signal of the character described, the combination with a license plate, of a casing enclosing said license plate and provided with an opening through which the license plate may be seen, lazy tongs mounted in said casing adapted to be collapsed to a position at one end of the casing When not in use and to be dstended across said license plate When in use, a lock for locking the lazy tongs in distended position, and means extending from the lazy tongs to a point exterior of the casing for presenting hand-holds Jfor moving the lazy tongs to either a collapsed or distended position.

5. In a thief signal ot the character described, the combination With a license plate, of a casing therefor having an opening through `Which the license plate may be seen, lazy tongs mounted in one end of the casing and adapted to normally be collapsed at said end but capable of distending across said license plate, a clip carried by said lazy tongs adapted to engage part of said casing for holding the lazy tongs in a collapsed position, and a lock :for locliing the lazy tongs in a distended position..

G. ln a thieil signal device, the combinau tion with a license plate, of a casing surrounding said license plate and having an opening through which the iicense plate may be seen, lazy tongs mounted in one end of the casing and normally collapsed in said end but capable of distension across said license plate, a lock for locking the lazy tongs in distended position, and spring means acting on the lazy tongs to collapse the same when the locking means have'been moved to an unlocked position.

7. ln a thief signal of the character described, the combination With a license plate, of cancelling means normally arranged adjacent said license plate and capable of movement across said license plate Without obscuring the numbers thereon, and means for locking the cancelling means either in cancelling position or out of cancelling position.

LOUIS FRIED. 

